Blog & Media

What is a Speech Disorder?

If you are like most people, when you hear the term speech therapy or speech disorder, your first thought is of a child who demonstrates difficulty saying their “r” sound. However, the term speech disorder is much broader than just saying a few sounds correctly.

May sound disorganized by stopping, restarting or changing ideas while speaking

A child with a voice disorder may:

Sound hoarse, rough or scratchy

Sound overly breathy

Sound monotone

Sound as though their nose is being pinched shut while speaking

Produce sounds through their nose/air escapes their nose while speaking

Use an unusual pitch or change pitch in unusual ways while speaking

Lose their voice frequently after speaking for a short time

Choke frequently when drinking or eating

Are a speech disorder and language disorder the same?

While both are considered to fall under the umbrella of a communication disorder, a language disorder is different from a speech disorder. A language disorder is an impairment of our understanding and use of language. A speech disorder is an impairment in our ability to physically produce language.